Riding the waves on Autism Awareness Day

Intellectually challenged children walk on floating bridge, harvest their crop

Kozhikode

It was a day to prove that they were capable of much more than the world takes them for. The intellectually challenged children of Kozhikode went riding on the waves at Beypore and harvested the fruits of their labour at Kodiyathur on the World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday.

More than 100 intellectually challenged children, who come under the National Trust Act, with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities, took part in the programme “Njangalkkum Aavum Kadalinde Meethe Nadatham” on Saturday. They had a merry time riding the waves on the floating bridge that was has been set up at Beypore beach a week ago. District Collector N.Tej Lohit Reddy walked over the bridge with them to inaugurate the event organised by the National Trust LLC, Kozhikode, with the help of District Tourism Promotion Council, State youth Welfare Board, Kozhikode Parivar and Humanity Charitable Trust.

In Kodiyathur panchayat, they harvested their crop on the 65 cent land in Kuttipoyil, on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day. The children, with the help of their parents, had cultivated various crops such as ladies finger, cucumber, gourds, beans, and spinach, with the support of the grama panchayat. The Collector opened the harvest festival. National Trust convenor P. Sikander and District Sub Judge M.P. Shaijal were present at both the events.